The Force Within
by The Dwelling Darkness
Summary: Star Wars AU (movie knowledge NOT necessary) Young Jedi Aomine Daiki is sent to go after something the Empire desperately wants, however he doesn't expect to find a fiery redhead as the cause of the disturbance. But Kagami Taiga is strong, far stronger than they imagined. But can Aomine get him to side with the Light, before the Dark's embrace tries to consume him forever?
1. Chapter 1: Scarlet Awakening

**This has absolutely no spoilers for anything, since it's a somewhat original storyline (with planet/character names made up and stuff). I'm sure people who haven't seen the movies can understand it, all you have to know is the Force is like telekinesis/telepathy and Jedi/Republic = good, Sith/Empire/First Order = bad. (Of course this is insanely simplified.)**

 **This was supposed to be a one-shot. *sobs* It's more of a really long one-shot split into a few chapters. This chapter is more of a set-up. There will be plenty of Force and light sabre battles, this I promise you ;D**

 **Yes, I always make Hanamiya the bad guy. LOL. He's useful for that role!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Scarlet Awakening**

The light of distant stars slowly blotted out one by one as the Imperial Second Class Star Destroyer floated silently by, its large size insignificant in the vast emptiness of space, yet imposing to any who laid eyes on it.

"Commander Hanamiya, we have possible co-ordinates for the location of one of our targets," the man reported stiffly, his arm raised in a salute.

"Good," the voice was slightly dulled by the filter mask, but the delight in it was clear. "Planet?'

"Tamaria, in the Feran Sector of the galactic mid-rim."

Hanamiya regarded the information silently. "Taking a ship this big might be too troublesome. We'll circle close by, but send in small teams to retrieve the target." He sighed. "And as much as it displeases me, I have been ordered to take them in alive…but barely so should suffice."

The man bowed, his emotionless eyes staring at the back of his commander's head. "Yes, sir."

* * *

" _Beep beep, boop, beeeep._ "

The figure lying under the shade of the tree groaned, his brown robes shifting as he turned over away from the nagging droid. "Ugh, shut _up_ , BB-X9, let me _sleep_."

The spherical droid whirred and clicked, bumping into the man repeatedly, red lights flickering on its blue and white surface. A hologram popped up on top of it, making the man jolt in surprise.

A calm face slightly covered with a hood stared at him, flickering in the blue light. "Aomine, come at once. Urgent matters require your immediate attention." The image disappeared just as suddenly as it had come.

Aomine scowled, sitting up and rubbing his face. "Okay, okay, I got it. Fuck, Akashi never gives me a _break_."

The droid regarded him silently before making another series of beeps.

"I am _not_ lazy!" Aomine stood up, dusting his clothes. "I just like the Antinese air, okay? Yes, I know it's been three months. No, I do _not_ need sparring practice! Jeez, why the fuck do I even have you with me?"

BB-X9 dropped its hemispherical head and he felt a pang of remorse.

"Oh come on, I'm joking. You're great. Let's go," he patted the cool metal and pushed his way past the surrounding shrub, laying his eyes on a beautiful Starfighter waiting for him patiently in a small grassy clearing.

He couldn't supress his excitement and it made a grin break out on his face. It had been a while since he saw a good fight. Since he'd _been_ in one.

"Get in, BB-X9. Let's go see what he wants."

* * *

"Hey, hey. What is this filth? I paid ten credits for this!" The green skinned cyclops rammed his fist on the table.

Kagami could feel a nerve twitch. "It's shrub stew, a Tamarian specialty, sir. Exactly what you ordered."

The alien glared at him with his single eye. "I demand a refund!"

Kagami took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but-"

A hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back forcefully, before his brother grinned at their customer. "Of course sir, would you prefer a refund or another dish?"

"Tatsuya…"

"Don't anger an Abyssin," his brother muttered through his teeth, still smiling brightly.

"But-"

When sharp grey eyes silenced him, Kagami felt his blood boil. Himuro Tatsuya was not his blood brother, but someone who had been with Kagami for as long as he could remember. The older man knew how to get even someone like Kagami under control. He huffed, turning around and storming back into the kitchen. _Always, always, always we are treated like this!_ He dropped to his knees and pulled out a wash bucket, filling it with water before dumping some dirty bowls in it for scrubbing. He grabbed the metal ring around his neck, closing his eyes. Himuro was important to him, but they couldn't live like this forever.

He heard footsteps behind him.

"So? What does he want?"

Himuro sighed heavily. "A refund and another helping of shrub stew to go."

" _What_?" Kagami snapped, standing up. "Didn't he say he didn't like it? That's it. I'm going to have a word."

"You know Abyssins are infamous for their temper and their violence," Himuro hissed. "Do you want our store to be turned into rubble?"

"Like our dignity?" Kagami scoffed. "I think I can handle one guy. If people see us being pushed around like this, it'll just keep happening."

Himuro tightened his jaw. "Fine, I will report it to the Republic officials."

"Report it my ass," Kagami snarled. "The goddamn Republic isn't doing anything here! They feel obligated because we're in right on the edge of the mid-rim, but when we get extorted or threatened, they don't lift a finger!"

Himuro frowned. "They are low on resources after the Empire-"

"Empire this, Empire that, I'm _sick of it_ ," the redhead clenched his fists. "And what about the Jedi? This so called Jedi Order, the ones that are supposed to keep balance? I've read so much about them," Kagami felt his anger burn painfully. "But I've never fucking even seen one! They're as fake as the Republic's care for us. Myths. And myths don't save lives."

"Taiga…" Himuro lifted a hand but Kagami smacked it away, his glare burning ferociously.

"I'll speak to that one-eyed freak myself, and if he throws a punch, I'll throw a harder one back," he growled, walking back outside and ignoring his brother's pleas.

* * *

Aomine caught a whiff of something delicious in the air, his stomach grumbling in response. BB-X9 whirred beside him. "Yeah, I know," he responded. "But a little stopover won't take too long. And the guy's supposed to be on this planet anyway. Tetsu's going to bring him to the rendezvous point in a few hours."

BB-X9 beeped and Aomine smacked him lightly.

"Shh, you idiot! This is barely in the Republic's territory, so don't even _mention_ the J-word. And even when I told Akashi I would be enough, that guy insisted to have two…um, _officers_ , on this mission." He glanced around himself, before waving to BB-X9 and following the sweet scent.

Tamaria was a fairly green planet, not unlike Antin, except with less water and more cliffs and jagged outcrops that surrounded its capital city of Emora like a basin. It made it an incredibly horrible place for aerial conflict, but the planet didn't have a violent history. It was more of a place people stopped on their way into and out of the outer-rim, sitting on the edge of mid-rim territory. Aomine walked down stony streets and came upon a shack the size of his Starfighter, the cloth canopy shielding it from Tamaria's summer heat. He signalled for BB-X9 to stay outside as he parted the curtain that led inside.

Chatter in a dozen languages buzzed in the air, the atmosphere thick with the mixed smells of spices and steam. Customers were seated at round tables, drinking and laughing and sharing stories, every seat taken. It was a crowded but friendly place. Aomine smiled slightly as he stepped forward to place an order, when he saw a man with fiery hair and split eyebrows emerge from the kitchen.

Aomine froze. He felt something. Something strange, in his mind, like a pull. But before he could investigate the feeling more, the man stalked up to a laughing Abyssin and the whole room fell silent as soon as he spoke.

"Pay for your food and leave."

The voice rung in Aomine's ears, and his jaw dropped. Had the man just _ordered_ and _Abyssin_ to leave?!

The Abyssin's smile dropped off his face, and fury twisted his ugly features. He stood up slowly, and although the redhead was fairly tall, the alien towered over him.

"What did you say?"

The redhead didn't flinch. "I said _fuck off_."

Aomine instinctively edged forwards, his hand creeping towards his light sabre. _This is bad._

The Abyssin made a low guttural sound, his muscles bunching as he prepared to attack. Aomine cursed under his breath, surreptitiously flicking his hood up and raising a hand towards the potential attacker. _Hopefully this doesn't blow my cover-_

"You will leave money on the table and _leave_."

Huh?

"I will leave money on the table and leave."

Wait, wait.

The Abyssin deflated, and Aomine heard the clatter of coins as the creature paid for his food before he turned around and brushed passed Aomine on his way out of the establishment.

Aomine stared. _What the actual FUCK._

He walked silently towards the man and sat down in the now-free seat, pushing his hood down. He looked up to stare into a pair of curious scarlet eyes.

"How did you do that?" Aomine asked cautiously. _That was…amazing_.

The man gave him a lopsided grin. "I honestly don't fucking know. Luck? Maybe the stew gave him an upset stomach and he decided to leave. I'm happy it ended that way though. I'm not going to think about it," he shook his head. "Sorry, my head hurts for some reason… But, uh, what would you like to eat?"

 _I don't think stew can do that. And Abyssins have accelerated healing, so poison isn't so effective on them._ Aomine observed him silently. "I'll take some of that stew to go, please."

The worker winked. "Lucky for you, my brother was packing one order like that anyway, but the guy who ordered it just left. I was going to feed it to that poor boy who drops by sometimes for food, but I can always give him something else."

 _Seems like a nice person. And he's got a pretty nice smile._ Aomine took the food and paid. "Say…what's your name?"

The man opened his mouth to respond when suddenly, the curtain fluttered open to reveal a panicked Bith, its large head bobbing up and down as it panted and its large stone black eyes honing in on the two.

"It's the Empire!" it squeaked. "I intercepted a message; there's a Star Destroyer circling our star system, and I've detected three patrol cruisers headed for Emora!"

About half of the patrons rushed outside, and Aomine's face paled. "Shit! My ship!" he ran out, forgetting about his hunger and the redhead. If the Imperial forces found his Starfighter in the forest, they'd know a Jedi was here. This was a planet that belonged to the Republic, but their presence was nearly non-existent. Tamaria just had no valuable resources or advantages for the Empire to seize it, so it remained out of any major battles.

But finding traces of a Jedi? That would turn the place into a warzone.

There was also his mission he had to worry about, and he honestly didn't want to face Akashi when the guy was in a bad mood. Akashi had…a _dark_ past that nobody ever really got over.

He found BB-X9 practically screaming at him when he ran out into the light of a setting sun.

"Tetsu called? No, BB-X9, we have to get the ship back!" Aomine bit his lip. The mission required he meet with his partner straight away, but his ship…

He _liked_ his ship.

BB-X9 flicked some lights and burred. Aomine frowned. "Send you? What if you get caught?"

The droid rolled around Aomine's feet, spinning its head.

Aomine sighed, crouching down and rubbing the scratched metal. "Fine, but stay low and quiet, and if they've found me ship before you, just come back to me, okay? I'll be at the rendezvous point."

BB-X9 nodded and sped away. Aomine pulled his brown hood back over his face. He had a mission to get to.

* * *

"You're late," Aomine called as he heard footsteps crack through the foliage. His eyes were continually scanning the skies for any sign of enemy ships, but none were spotted, thankfully. Only the bright light of Tamaria's two moons lit the dark sky, unfamiliar constellations twinkling like diamond powder. "And you're so loud, Tetsu-"

"Wait, I know this voice…"

Aomine's eyes widened when a head pushed the bushes aside, red eyes reflecting Aomine's own surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Aomine's hand snapped to his light sabre and he pulled it out, the blade materialising to throw a blue glow onto his face as he stared at the chef from before with more than a little suspicion. "I thought I sensed something off about you!" he hissed. "Are you an Imperial spy?" An unexpected pain clenched his stomach at the thought.

The man stared at him slack jawed. "I-is that a _light sabre?!_ "

Aomine squinted. "Answer my question-"

"Aomine-kun, calm down."

Aomine jumped, turning around to see a small figure gazing down at him from a low branch on the tree he was under. "Tetsu!"

"Kuroko, what's going on?" the redhead fretted.

"Kagami-kun, I'm sorry for lying. I am not a street rat begging for your scraps," Kuroko dropped to the floor, walking up to Kagami. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. This is Aomine Daiki."

"Did you just say _Kagami_?" Aomine felt his breath catch in his throat as realisation dawned.

Kagami took a weary step back. "Who are you people?"

Kuroko smiled. "We are Jedi, and we are here to protect you. And bring you back with us, so we can train you."

Aomine placed a hand on his forehead and laughed. _Of course. Of course. I was such an idiot. The mind trick, the mental pull_.

"Train me?" Kagami's expression was thoroughly confused.

With a flick of his wrist, Kuroko picked up a rock and threw it right at Kagami's head. Kagami flinched, automatically holding up a hand to protect himself. The stone jarred to a stop right in front of his palm, before dropping down at the shocked man's feet.

"Kagami Taiga. The Empire wants to turn you to the Dark Side, because of the power you hold," Kuroko said, his pale blue eyes reflecting the moonlight of the twin moons. "Your father was a great Jedi. And if we can help it, before the Empire gets to you, you will become one too."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Comments are lifeblood :D**

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	2. Chapter 2: Azure Realisations

**I realised I spelled lightsaber wrong in the first chapter. *sweats***

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Azure Realisations**

"Relax. Focus. Breathe."

"I _am_ ," Kagami gritted. "But swinging at air _with a stick_ isn't going to help me do _anything_."

Aomine sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Kagami, you're a bit too new to this for me to give you a lightsaber _right away_. And we have to kill time while Tetsu brings his ship over." He looked away. _And for BB-X9 to find me. I hope you're alright, buddy._ It was better for the two of them to stay in one place so they could find each other again. Splitting up too much with the Empire at their doorstep wasn't a wise move.

Kagami glowered at the stick in his hand. "I already _know_ how to use a sword. My…my brother taught me. At least the basics."

Aomine narrowed his eyes. "Brother?" he repeated, jumping off the stone he had been sitting on cross-legged. "I was told there was only one Kagami left alive."

"He's not blood related," Kagami lowered his makeshift weapon. "And…Aomine, _who_ told you? You just said my father was this great Jedi, and that the Empire is after me," Kagami closed his eyes. "It's a little hard to take in."

Aomine sighed again. "Well, truth be told, I wasn't expecting to find someone like you either."

Kagami scowled. "What's the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you're barely an adult. You're probably the same age as me, but unlike me, you haven't had any training," Aomine stepped closer. "You've lived your entire life out of harm's way. And yet, you used a Jedi mind trick like it was nothing." His navy gaze flickered over Kagami's face, and he cautiously reached out with his mind. As Kagami stared blankly back at him, he could sense it. Kagami was dangerous. If something went wrong, what was left of the Jedi…this man could burn it all down.

 _Thank fuck we found him first._ Aomine didn't yet know _how_ Akashi had managed that, but he had learnt not to question the Jedi Master. "Keep moving."

Kagami pouted, but did as he was told, moving through the stances that had been drilled into him by Himuro over the years.

"How does a chef know how to move like a knight?" Aomine grabbed another branch off the ground and walked up to Kagami, raising it like a blade.

"I don't know, but he used to be a lot more feisty than he is nowadays. He's mellowed out," Kagami replied, observing the Jedi for any openings. There weren't many. "We moved to Tamaria five years ago, back when I was a teenager. We've been moving around my whole life, and chefs always get jobs. People need a place to eat." He swung from the right and Aomine stepped aside, whirling around him and aiming for his side. Kagami jumped out of the way, his eyes meeting Aomine's slightly pleased ones.

"You're good," Aomine admitted, and Kagami felt a burst of pride. "But not good enough for a lightsaber," Aomine added with a wink. "Maybe in a few years-"

 _BANG._

The two men whirled around as a flock of birds fluttered from the trees in a panic, smoke curling up above the canopy. A red glow illuminated the night horizon.

"This is bad. They've reached Emora," Aomine muttered. "That was quick. I guess they didn't find what they were looking for, so they decided to destroy the city. Typical Empire."

Kagami's face drained of colour and his hands were clammy with sweat. "Tatsuya."

"What?"

Kagami grabbed Aomine's shoulders. "Tatsuya! He's back there! I told…I told him that Kuroko asked for help, so I would return soon, but he's still down there, Aomine!" he turned to leave but Aomine caught his arm.

"No, we have to leave. This is our chance, if we stay here, they will find us and send in more reinforcements," Aomine hissed. "Emora will take some damage, but it will be worse if they see us."

Kagami tore his arm away. "You are a _Jedi_! Why are you telling me to run?! Aren't you supposed to protect us?"

"I'm trying!" Aomine growled. "If they see you here, they will burn the entire planet looking for you! Instead, if we run, either we can lure them away or they will give up their search."

"I can't take that chance," Kagami shook his head. "I'm going, and you can't stop me. I have to make sure Tatsuya is safe." Another explosion drummed through the air.

Aomine glared at those stubborn crimson eyes and clicked his tongue. " _Fine_. Looks like I have no choice." Kagami tensed when Aomine parted his coat and removed a deactivated lightsaber. And then threw it at him. The surprised redhead caught it in mid-air, and as his fingers touched the metal, a weird thrum went through his muscles. His hand curled around the strangely familiar shape, as though he knew the weapon. As though he had wielded it before.

Aomine came up behind Kagami curled his own hand around Kagami's paler one, using Kagami's thumb to press the button on the hilt of the lightsaber. A scarlet beam of light expanded and he gripped the weapon around Kagami's hand, his dark eyes meeting red. His serious expression flickered in the crimson light.

"This button turns it on and off. Use it like a sword, but remember, this blade will burn anything it touches. It is a beam of pure energy," his voice brushed Kagami's ear. They took a few practice swings. "It is a weapon, to both your enemy and yourself. If it comes too close, it _will_ burn you. Understand?"

Kagami nodded silently, mesmerised by the light and Aomine's low voice. "I thought you said I wasn't ready."

"It's not like you can go beat up Stormtroopers with a stick," Aomine said dryly, his grip tightening. "Akashi told me this was your father's. Maybe…you can connect with it. Make its experiences your own."

Kagami met Aomine's eyes and they looked at each other silently. Kagami cleared his throat. "Thanks."

Aomine stepped back as Kagami retracted the beam, hooking it onto his own belt. Aomine flashed his teeth in a grin. "Let's go rough up some Empire lackeys."

* * *

Kagami saw the carnage the second they stepped out of the forest that bordered the city. Buildings were up in flames and people screamed as they ran. Some took cover under pieces of rock that had fallen from the cliff faces, and those with weapons shot back in defence.

Kagami could see the store from his position and rushed forward just as Aomine grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. The taller man pointed to a figure walking some distance off. The dirtied white armour and helmet with the attached gas mask identified him as an enemy Stormtrooper. Aomine placed a finger on his lips and crept forward. Kagami watched in awe as Aomine grabbed the man from behind, using the hilt of his lightsaber to hit the man on the side of his helmet. He dragged the unconscious body into the bushes, disarming him and tossing the blaster to Kagami.

"Use the blaster if you can. Leave the sabre as a last resort," he commanded.

"You didn't kill him?" Kagami asked.

"Jedi never senselessly kill. We are to only protect and defend, never to attack," Aomine sounded like he was reciting something. "If the guy had attacked me first, then I can't control the consequences. But where I can, I will." He gave Kagami a small smile. "Don't worry. When we make it out of here, they'll teach you all of that."

He grabbed Kagami's arm and dragged him out as they both ran onto the battlefield.

Kagami's eyes pinpointed a particular man as he crouched behind a rock, two Stormtroopers approaching him with their guns raised. "I see him-" Kagami's voice caught in his throat as he saw Himuro vault over the rock, kicking one enemy in the head. The body collapsed and he grabbed the man's blaster just as his companion turned towards the sound. He dropped to his knees, aimed, and shot once straight in the man's chest.

Himuro stood up, pushing his hair out of the way and turning around to meet Kagami's shocked gaze.

* * *

Himuro didn't want Kagami to find out this way. Never wanted Kagami to look at him with betrayal in his eyes.

Kagami had gone off with some street rat that asked for his help, promising Himuro he would be back soon. It suited Himuro just fine as he started to pack their bags. He'd known he would have to sooner or later, and the mention of a Star Destroyer at the edge of their solar system was enough to send him into action. He'd watched over Kagami for over a decade and that wasn't changing any time soon. He'd become a little relaxed on Tamaria, the weather and the relative safety a gentle escape from the violence in his past. But his days as a child spy for the Republic were over. Now he was tasked with looking after a dead Jedi Master's only son.

A boy he thought would be a nuisance when he had laid eyes on the bubbly six year old for the first time, back when he was only sixteen himself.

A boy he had come to love as a brother.

"Taiga…" he stepped forwards and Kagami stepped back. Pain pierced his heart, but what was he to expect?

"Tatsuya…" Kagami whispered, then his eyes flitted to the side. Himuro's eyes widened as he turned around, seeing the trooper too late, closed his eyes just as a gust of air rushed past him.

A blue blade deflected the laser shot, and another and another. It swung in beautiful sapphire arcs, emitting sounds like the wind as it sliced the gun cleanly in half. The Jedi bolted forwards and landed a solid kick in the soldier's breastplate, lifting a hand so that the body floated in the air.

"Empire bitches," Aomine murmured, before throwing the body against the wall of a cliff, where it crumpled to a heap on the ground with a groan.

Kagami shook his head in disbelief. Jedi were really something else. Would he too, one day, be able to do something as amazing as that, and so effortlessly?

"Your father was better."

Kagami looked at Himuro, whose eyes were downcast. "You…knew him?"

"Not as well as I'd liked to have. I was very young." Himuro smiled, misery in his eyes. "My mission was to keep you away from the Empire. Looks like I failed. And now not only has the Empire found you, but so have the Jedi," he glanced at Aomine, who was walking back calmly towards them.

"Mission?" Kagami spat. "I was a _mission_? Who ordered you?" his voice cracked. "Has _everything_ been a lie?"

"No, of course not," Himuro placed a hand on Kagami's cheek, wiping off a tear Kagami didn't know was there. "You are my precious brother, and I only want you to be safe. But there are some things…we can't run from."

"Then…what are you running from?"

Himuro paused, but before he could answer, Aomine grabbed Kagami's shirt and pulled him back.

"I don't know who you are," Aomine said, his voice hard. "But it looks like you're plenty safe to me. Kagami, we have to _leave_."

"Aomine, just wait-"

"Oh, _fuck_ no!" Aomine's voice grew urgent and Kagami followed his line of sight to the edge of the cliffs that surrounded Emora. Dozens of soldiers, their guns and artillery aimed down at the city. "I knew this city had a _really_ bad location!"

Kagami felt his stomach drop as a wave of small glowing spots were fired from all around the cliff edge, headed downwards in a perfect circle. They were laser missiles.

It washed over him like cool water, the realisation that the entire city would be flattened. _Because of him_. Because he was here, because he could not save anyone.

And that was when time froze, and every white beam of destructive light that pointed at them was suspended in mid-air, as though stuck in glass.

And he felt it, like a strange energy coursing through his veins.

He could feel every heartbeat of every creature, every fluttering feather of every bird, every speck of dust thrown up in the hot air, every crumbling rock and flowing river on the surface of Tamaria, like it was connected to him. Connected through some mysterious field that permeated everything.

It simultaneously took his breath away and filled him with life.

Kagami looked around him, looked at the destruction, looked at the pain and the suffering. And that connection inside him, it twisted with pain. The pain of not knowing anything, the pain of losing everything. The pain of being helpless, useless, abandoned.

And it made him angry, angry enough to wish that everything that ever hurt him would stop. And he felt it, the connection, and it _burned_. He knew in that moment that he could do anything. He could use his pain, and his anger, and he could _do anything_.

So he commanded the attacks. Commanded them to stop, and fly back to where they came from.

Fly back and burn, destroy everything that had _dared_ to hurt what he held close.

And the awed silence of the crowds staring at the unmoving missiles was broken when the beams veered back. It was broken by the screams of the enemies as they fell to the floor over a hundred feet under them, lit on fire by the very weapons they used.

And he felt his lips smile.

* * *

Aomine could not believe what he had seen. The entire wave of attack, rebounded by a novice using the Force. He glanced at Kagami's awed expression, and felt an uneasiness he didn't like at all.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed down on them and he shielded his eyes. _More enemy ships?_

But as he peered through his fingers, he saw to his joy his very own Starfighter coming to a land in front of them, the wind scattering bits of wood and embers around them. And beside it landed another ship, slightly larger - a two-seater. Both the cockpits popped open, and Kuroko jumped out of the bigger one while a familiar round droid rolled out of the other.

"BB-X9!" Aomine grinned, rubbing the warm metal. BB-X9 clicked and beeped back happily.

Kuroko glanced up and around at the carnage, his pale blue eyes lingering on the clifftops. "Kagami-kun, get in. We must go."

Kuroko's words snapped Kagami out of his reverie, and he blinked around him as though seeing everything for the first time. "Oh, yeah. C-can Tatsuya come with us?" he asked, rubbing his forehead.

Kuroko shook his head sadly. "There isn't enough room."

"I can't leave him-"

Himuro clutched his arms. "Taiga, I'll be fine. You're more important. Go with the Jedi. The Empire is not after _me_ , they are after _you_. And I can take care of myself."

Kagami opened his mouth to argue, but held his words back and nodded tentatively as Kuroko led him into the ship. Aomine was about to walk to his own when Himuro grabbed his elbow.

"Jedi, take care of him, for my sake."

Aomine nodded. "You have my word." He couldn't leave Kagami. And he didn't _want_ to. The redhead had a sharp tongue, but he...he was different, like a breath of fresh air to Aomine's bleak life.

Himuro swallowed. "But more so…" his face was shadowed, as though plagued with the remnants of a memory best forgotten. "Make sure he doesn't fall to the darkness. For everyone's sake."

Aomine's gaze followed Kagami as Kuroko helped him sit down in the ship. "I promise," he said, leaving the man behind.

He settled in his own Starfighter, buckling himself and lowering the door. The ships rose and Emora's burning ruins became smaller underneath them, but the Empire's presence had been wiped out completely thanks to Kagami's…display. "Where are our next co-ordinates, BB-X9?"

Kuroko's voice crackled through the speakers. "Qua-Ren."

Aomine could hear Kagami complain about the seat-belts over the comm and he couldn't help his lips twitch a little. Then Kuroko's words registered. "Qua-Ren?" His eyes narrowed. "What is Akashi thinking?"

"I don't know," Kuroko's voice sounded just as confused as Aomine felt. "But we should get there fast. It won't be long before more of them come."

"Agreed," Aomine pressed his lips together.

"Ouch! The buckle pinched me!"

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Kagami. BB-X9, you heard Kuroko." He took a deep breath. This would be fun. "Set a course for Qua-Ren."

* * *

 **I had planned this to last only 3 chapters but...this may or may not become four chapters, depending on the length of the next one, but it might just fit in only three! ;D It's just that my stuff always gets longer than expected. It's like the characters have a mind of their own. TwT**

 **Thanks for reading! Comments are lifeblood. :D**

 **For tons of AoKaga drabbles and shit, visit my tumblr at theeventideabyss. For my personal tumblr, check out thetranscendentabyss!**


	3. Chapter 3: Golden Nightmares

**I updated on AO3 and completely forgot on this site...sorry for the wait!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Golden Nightmares**

"They _what?_ "

The man did not flinch as the chair was torn out of the floor and went crashing into the computer inches from his head. "They escaped-"

"I heard what you said!" his commander screamed, his chest heaving as he ripped his helmet off his head. "We sent _over a dozen_ men down there. Down to that stupid poor excuse of a planet. And you're saying a Jedi took them all out?"

"There were two others, apparently. We spotted two ships," the man reported calmly.

Dirty brown eyes closed and a hand ran through limp black hair. Hanamiya Makoto did not take kindly to failure, but his masters took it even worse. "Fine. Well," he breathed. "Any idea where those ships went?"

The man nodded. "We managed to lock onto them. They were seen moving out of the system. We believe they are headed towards Qua-Ren."

Hanamiya's thick eyebrows scrunched in slight confusion. "Qua-Ren? There's nothing there but the ruins and their dead." He smiled. "Perhaps it's fitting, then. The Jedi can join them."

* * *

Kagami's feet firmly hit the gravely ground as he exited the plane. The air smelt cold and dry and stale, like a room that had been left locked for years. The ground itself was a scattering of pebbles and brown sand with no vegetation in sight, and when Kagami looked in front of him, he could see that most of the landscape was a vast expanse of flat plains, although the shroud of darkness brought on by the night made it hard to see any details.

He turn behind him, gazing up at the only natural feature he could discern, a low wall of stony mountains and crags that rose towards the cloudless skies. The jagged faces of the cliffs reflected the dull blue glow of the moon that hung in the blanket of stars above them, a huge satellite that was many times bigger than any of Tamaria's moons and appeared very close to Qua-Ren's surface. It seemed to loom over them like a silent yet imposing guardian.

No signs of life, and yet Kagami could feel it. Something in the air, in the earth, something permeating through everything. It was similar to the feeling he had experienced back in Emora, a strange… _connection_ to everything around him.

Kagami jumped when he felt a hard slap on his shoulder. Aomine peered at him, his face lit by the lights of the aircraft. "You feel it too, don't you? Well, it's pretty strong, so no doubt you do."

"What is it?" Kagami murmured, feeling a strange prickling under his skin.

Aomine glanced downwards and scowled. " _That_. Satsuki forgot to pack up properly."

Kagami followed his gaze and stepped back in soundless horror.

It was unmistakably a bone.

"What…" Kagami breathed.

Kuroko walked up to them. "I've informed Momoi-san of our arrival, and as I suspected her team had already detected us." His eyes darted between Kagami and the _thing_ on the ground. "Oh, of course, Kagami-kun is unaware of this planets history," Kuroko nodded, glancing around him. "But perhaps it would be easier to explain once the sun is up. You can see the ruins properly then."

"What is this place?" Kagami asked, shocked.

"It's a dead planet," Aomine shrugged. "In more ways than one."

"Ironically, in the native tongue, Qua-Ren means 'Land of the Worthy'," Kuroko explained, before he pointed up at the moon. "That is Qua-Rao, and it is roughly half the size and mass of Qua-Ren, making the centre of orbit slightly off so that Qua-Ren and Qua-Rao sort of orbit each other. Qua-Rao has no atmosphere, and can sustain no life for as long as it has existed. This is why the natives named it Qua-Rao, or 'Land of the Forsaken'."

"Although it's arguable which one is more 'forsaken' now," Aomine muttered.

Kagami swallowed. "What happened…to the natives?"

The sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention, and he turned around to see a woman with a lantern smiling up at him, the light flickering off her pink hair and brown robes. "That's what we're here to find out, although we do know a little. I don't believe we've met!" she held out a pale hand and Kagami shook it slowly. "My name is Momoi Satsuki, and I'm the leader of this expedition. Although it's been a pretty _long_ expedition," she pulled a face. Her rose coloured eyes brightened when they fell onto Kuroko and Aomine. "Tetsu-kun, Dai-chan, I'm so glad Akashi-kun told you to come here. It's been months!"

"Pick up your damn rubbish, Satsuki," Aomine growled, kicking at the bone on the ground. Kagami winced at the action.

Momoi frowned. "That bone is older than you think! Stop destroying historical artefacts!"

"Maybe if you didn't shit them around everywhere-"

"Why you stupid-"

"It's cold out here," Kuroko piped up, "Why don't we head inside and get warm?"

"Sounds good," Kagami mumbled as he observed the two bickering people in front of him, the way they acted and insulted, yet still held warmth in their eyes. It reminded him of himself and Himuro. He shook his head, ignoring the pang in his chest. _I'm sure Tatsuya is fine. First, I need to deal with this. Take the next step. I've already come a long way from home._ He was still finding it hard to process the events that occurred in Emora, but Kuroko was right. They needed to relax a little first.

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Aomine rolled his eyes. "Come _on_ Satsuki, we're freezing here. Show some hospitality."

Momoi huffed and the three men shared a small smile as they wordlessly followed the pink haired woman into the mountains.

* * *

Kagami shifted on the bedroll, the coolness of the stone seeping through the material and kissing his back. The flickering warmth of the fireplace in the centre was only somewhat comforting, the shadows of the cave eerily dancing on the walls. Momoi had kindly given the three of them their own little cave in the mountains, which had ended up being a whole system of tunnels and caverns the natives had once dug out as habitats. There was a hole in one of the walls that allowed a little moonlight through, but the air was still with the lack of wind.

"Go to sleep, Kagami," Aomine blinked at him from across the fireplace, lying down with a groan. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Aomine-kun is right. Good night everyone," Kuroko mumbled tiredly.

Kagami eyed how the light reflected off the silver of his lightsaber. He felt a strange sense of comfort when it was near him, sort of like a gift from his father.

"Good night," he whispered, suddenly tired, his eyes slowly dropping closed.

* * *

It was the cold that woke him. The fire had gone out.

He sat up slowly as uneasiness roiled in his stomach, his eyes darting left and right. The small trickle of moonlight from the makeshift window was enough to show him that he was alone with his bedroll. There were only the charred remains of the fire. No Aomine, no Kuroko, not even one trace that they had been there.

"Aomine?" he called out hesitantly. "Kuroko?"

No answer.

Kagami bit his lip, his hand instinctively scrabbling for his lightsaber. It wasn't there.

"Looking for this?" a male voice resounded.

Kagami gasped, scrambling back as he saw a figure standing in front of him, his face shadowed. He wore a dark brown robe over a white undershirt, held together with a leather belt. In one hand, he held Kagami's lightsaber.

"Who are you?" Kagami rasped, hating the small tremble in his voice. "Where are Kuroko and Aomine?"

"They're fine," the man said calmly, his tone smooth and controlled. "I'm more interested in _you_." He stepped forward, and the moonlight glinted off light red hair. A pair of eyes glared down at him, one gold and the other scarlet.

"What do you want?" Kagami asked, trying to look for a way out.

"I want to talk," the man said simply, and sat down in front of Kagami. There was a snapping sound and suddenly, the fire was brought back to life, crackling warmly in between them. "An important talk. About the Force, and what you plan to do with it."

Kagami stared at the man in front of him distrustfully.

"The Force is like an energy field that pervades everything you see and do not see," the man poked at the fire with a stick that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "And in every living cell, there exist microscopic lifeforms called 'midi-chlorians'. They are what bind us to the Force, what allow us to use the Force's power. They are like the messengers. You must have a high concentration of these in your body to be able to draw upon the Force and its power." The man looked straight into Kagami's eyes. "And you have a lot of them. Just like your father."

Kagami felt his breath catch. "You knew my father?"

"Yes, quite well in fact," he hummed, still staring at Kagami. "He was my Master, he taught me the way of the Jedi. And I killed him."

"What?" Kagami shook his head, confusion, fear and anger towards the stranger an ugly mess in his mind.

The man in front of him smiled thinly. "Does that make you angry? Sad? Scared? Does it make you want to know why? Does it make you want to kill me, the man who murdered your own father?" his eyes flashed with more than just the light of the fire. His voice grew hard. "You can. You have that power. You can crush me like an ant if you wish it, just like you crushed those Empire armies on Tamaria," he raised a hand and curled it into a fist. "Will you bend and break and fall to the Dark Side, as so many who came before you did?"

Kagami felt his heartbeat quicken as his fingernails scratched the rock under him.

The man waved his hand above the fire and it disappeared, plunging the room into darkness.

A blade of light glowed at the other end, the pale red flickering on the man's sharp features. Kagami stood up and felt his fingers curl around something hard and cold. His own red blade extended from the hilt of his lightsaber, which had somehow appeared in his hands.

They had similar ones, he and that man. The man smiled coldly at him, beckoning him forwards.

"The Dark Side of the Sith, and the Light Side of the Jedi. We have given them these names and definitions," the man chuckled as Kagami stepped forwards. "The Jedi follow the light, the warmth of peace and content, of love and defence and protection. The Sith embrace the Dark, accept the fear and hate and aggression that fuels their power. Two sides of the same coin. But the Force itself does not care."

 _Did this man really kill my father? Did he kill Kuroko, Aomine, Momoi?_ Kagami felt lightheaded, approaching the man with his sword drawn. _…can I kill_ him _? Should I?_

"The Force merely exists, it does not think or care. It is just energy, and how you use it defines you. It does not care about your father, it does not care about Tatsuya, it does not care about your friends," the man spat. "It does not care for the atrocities I committed, it does not care for the lives lost, or those that want power. So why should you? Wouldn't it be easy to give in to your desires? To do what you wanted?"

Kagami growled, thinking of those he left behind. Where were they? Where was his father, Himuro, Kuroko, Aomine, everyone he even remotely cared for? Before he knew it, he had swung down, slicing at the man. The man blocked with surprising strength, moving out of the way.

"For all you know, they might be dead!" the man spurred him on.

Kagami tried again, and he deflected it easily.

His eyes assessed Kagami as the taller man tried to catch his breath. He never attacked, only stepped out of the way or parried, increasing Kagami's frustration.

"Are you so easy to anger, Kagami Taiga?" the man muttered unhappily. "Anger and pain and fear. So much of it is in you, and I had to barely do anything to draw it out. How easily you fall, Taiga. Perhaps I should kill you before you become hard to deal with, because you are strong, but you do not know how to use this strength responsibly. Your father would be disappointed."

"Shut the fuck up!" Kagami yelled, swinging madly. "Don't you _dare_ speak of my father!"

"Let it out, it's better to go crazy here and now than anywhere else," the man said, dodging another attack. "But I cannot kill you. Not because I am a Jedi, but because I made a promise that I would protect you. And a Jedi keeps his promises."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Kagami panted.

"You are new to all this, and I cannot let someone of such power fall to the Dark Side. Your father would be saddened by it all."

"Shut up!" Kagami ran forwards in a blind rage and shoved the laser blade right through the man's chest.

The man dropped his lightsaber, and raised a hand to cup Kagami's horrified face.

For the second Kagami had driven the blade it, the man's image had changed, and now Kagami stared up into the navy eyes of someone he never meant to hurt.

"See what it does?" Aomine's face, Aomine's voice, spoke to him. "This blindness brought on by rage and fear. This blindness brought on by an unquenchable desire for power. You hurt the ones you love, and by the time you realise what you have done, it is too late."

"I…I didn't…" Kagami felt the burning of tears in his eyes.

"The Force does not care, but that is why you _must_. It is what you do with the Force that defines you, that changes the lives of those around you," Aomine leaned in closer, whispering in Kagami's ear. "Once you recognise that the sweet seduction of the Dark is a hidden poison, then you can better understand how to combat it. Only those who have seen the darkness can truly appreciate the light."

The body collapsed and Kagami felt his heart being torn out.

"Aomine!" he laid the body on the ground, grabbing Aomine's face and shoulders and shaking him. "No, no, no, _please_ Aomine, wake _up_!" he sobbed, burying his face in Aomine's unmoving chest. "Fucking hell, if you don't wake up…I…I'm gonna kill you, please…please…I can't lose anyone else…" he cried with his eyes tightly shut.

"-gami…"

Kagami grit his teeth. "Aomine, please…I'm so sorry…"

"Kagami, wake up!"

Kagami gasped as his eyes opened, the sunlight momentarily blinding him. He blinked blearily, completely disoriented.

"Kagami, are you okay?"

He squinted to see familiar navy eyes peering down at him worriedly, firm hands shaking his shoulders. "Aomine?"

"Who else?" Aomine scoffed, but voice sounded relieved. "You were crying in your sleep," he said a little more seriously. "And then when you started calling my name, I…I don't know," he averted his gaze. "I thought it was a good idea to wake you up. It's about time to get going anyway. Bad dream?"

Kagami just stared at Aomine for a moment, taking in his curious expression, and the way his dark hair stuck up at odd angles and how the small plait near the nape of his neck was in dire need of braiding. He saw Aomine's lively and warm eyes and he grinned brightly, brimming with relief and happiness. "Yeah, just a dream. Nothing to worry about."

Aomine blinked, rubbing his cheeks. They'd grown a little red, but Kagami didn't really see it. He was paying attention to Kuroko, who was smiling at them amusedly.

"Akashi-kun arrived in the middle of last night. He wants to meet us," Kuroko gestured out the entrance. "They're waiting by the ruins."

Kagami rolled up his bedroll. His lightsaber was lying where it had been, untouched. He shrugged the memories away, following Aomine outside. Qua-Ren looked completely different by day, and Kagami could clearly see some large stone structures in the distance, tall and dark against the light orange sky.

"They were known as the Ren, or 'Worthy', in their tongue. They were _very_ smart people."

Kagami looked behind him to see Momoi smile up at him, a bag slung across her shoulder.

"My team is already down there greeting the new guests. I thought to stay here and escort Tetsu-kun! Oh, and you, of course," she winked.

"I see," Kagami grinned. He waved around himself. "Why don't they live here anymore?"

Aomine scowled. "They played with something they didn't understand. For being smart, they sure were fucking dumb."

Momoi frowned at him. "Well, I can't disagree. I don't think they had ill intentions, but they went in over their heads." She looked up at Kagami, her pink eyes bright with knowledge but dampened by sadness. "You see, everything was wiped out. All of the water on the planet, every species of flora and fauna, and all of the Ren."

Kagami's eyes widened. "Were they attacked?"

Momoi pressed her lips together. "Not really…" her eyes darkened. "They were wiped out by the Force."


	4. Chapter 4: Emerald Memories

**Basic info: the hierarchy in the Jedi Order is basically Padowan Jedi Knight Jedi Master. A Padowan learns under a Jedi Knight. Once the Padowan graduates, they become a Jedi Knight and their Master (the one who teaches them) becomes a Jedi Master. The Jedi Knight can then take on a Padowan of their own and so on.**

 **And yes it was getting too long so it turned into five chapters. *runs away from pitchforks***

 **I SWEAR it's only five chapters. I SWEAR IT.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Emerald Memories**

The four of them started walking towards the ruins. The air had grown significantly warmer and Kagami could see the heat waves shimmering across the plains, but he still felt cold inside.

"It's been like this for at least two thousand years," Momoi started explaining. "The Rens were extremely advanced in terms of technology. And they knew about the Force. They knew it was a cosmic field that could possibly provide them with an infinite source of energy."

Kagami eyes drifted over the barren landscape. Lifeless and bland. Was…was the Force really capable of something like this?

 _The Force merely exists, it does not think or care. It is just energy, and how you use it defines you._

 _The Force does not care._

Kagami shook the thought away. Just a dream. A dream couldn't hurt him.

But _had_ it been a dream? A dream that told him things he didn't know? Or had he read that knowledge sometime in the past, and just remembered it in his sleep?

"They tried to build a machine." Momoi's calm voice brought him back to reality. She was staring straight ahead at the shadows in the distance, but her eyes were glazed, like she was seeing something else in their stead. "A machine that tapped into the Force, that tried to harness it and gather it, like a battery. And in a way, they succeeded."

"This doesn't look like success to me," Kagami mumbled.

Momoi smiled dryly. "Yes, well, they succeeded in gathering it. They didn't succeed in _storing_ it. Most of their texts are lost, but we found accounts written in _other_ civilisations, on _other_ planets. An event that occurred, according to our calculations, at the same time throughout the galaxy." She looked up. "A bright light in the sky, as though a thousand stars had died. A light that made everything else pale in comparison. A light that extinguished all life on the planet of Qua-Ren."

"It was like a bomb, but rather than destroy matter, it killed the organisms that were connected to the force. The midi-chlorians." Kuroko spoke up. "And once the midi-chlorians died, so did life. But in return, this area is… _concentrated_ ," he paused a little, as though unsure of how to word it. "Not with midi-chlorians, but with the Force."

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "If the Force is a _field_ , how can it be concentrated? You can't hold it, right?"

"Well, it's hard to explain," Momoi scrunched her nose. "But like a larger mass increases a gravitational field, there can also be increases in the Force."

Aomine snorted at Kagami's blank expression, and knelt towards the ground long enough to scoop up some sand. He gestured for Kagami's hand, and poured the sand into it. "Maybe something visual will help," he grinned, cupping Kagami's hand from the outside and forcing it flat so that the sand spread out somewhat evenly. "This is how it's like _normally._ After the Rens fucked things up, this is what happened," he said softly, curling his hand inwards so that Kagami's did the same. The sand fell downwards, making a small pile in the centre of his palm. "The space around Qua-Ren and Qua-Rao has sort of _attracted_ the Force field, but just outside the solar system, it's spread a bit more thinly. Do you know what this means?"

"You're saying there's more… _Force_ …around here?" Kagami stared at the grains of sand intently. "Then that means…"

"Even someone with a few midi-chlorians like Satsuki here can use the Force in this place," Aomine concluded, ignoring Momoi's pouting. "So someone with _a lot_ …can do _all sorts_ of shit around here. Cause some real mountain moving mayhem."

 _And in every living cell, there exist microscopic lifeforms called 'midi-chlorians'…what allow us to use the Force's power. You must have a high concentration of these in your body._

Kagami flinched, his hands moving out of Aomine's warm grasp and throwing the sand away.

"Kagami?" Aomine's voice was worried, but Kagami turned away.

"It's nothing, let's just go."

Aomine shot Momoi a glance before they walked the last leg, and the towering stone structures became more visible, along with a couple of people congregating around them. As they drew closer, Kagami could see carvings on the stone, humanoid figures with large heads and long limbs that carried objects. He could see what looked like Rens working, building, using technology. And above them was a ball that exuded rays, like a sun, but it had writing on it and a crowd of figures gazed up at it.

As he stared, mesmerised by the art, he heard talking behind him

"Akashi-kun!" Momoi was yelling.

"Akashi-kun, it is good to meet again," Kuroko was saying seriously.

"Akashi, shit, did you bring Kise? Fuck…" That was Aomine.

"Kurokocchi! Aominecchi is being mean…ah, Akashicchi, where are you going…?"

He felt a presence behind him, heard the horrifyingly familiar voice. "That sun-like object is their depiction of the Force. They worshipped it, and it destroyed them."

As he turned around, he felt the blood leave his face and his knees grow weak.

There, standing before him, was the man from his dream. The man who challenged him. The man who claimed to have killed his father.

Akashi smiled up at him, his red eyes glowing. "Hello Kagami Taiga. I have waited long, and now, we finally meet."

* * *

"Qua-Ren is in view. We will be in its atmosphere in a matter of minutes."

"Good," Hanamiya muttered with a smile.

His subordinate bowed stiffly. "We have also detected the presence of another Jedi starship. We believe it is Akashi Seijuro's."

Hanamiya's eyes widened. "Akashi Seijuro?! That traitor?" he growled, his eyes trained on the speck of a planet in view. "Well, if I have his head, then the bosses will surely be pleased." He winced, remembering back when Akashi had been _one_ of those bosses. He'd never liked Akashi. The man had always had a sense of superiority, and Hanamiya wanted to crush it more than ever. "Well? What are we waiting for?!" he slammed a hand on the wall. "Go!"

* * *

"Y-you…" Kagami stumbled back, but was stopped by the column behind him.

"You know him?" Aomine asked.

"You must be the new Jedi!" a bubbly blonde grinned at him.

"Kise-kun, I think something is wrong," Kuroko frowned, looking at Kagami.

Kagami found it hard to breathe. It was the same man, certainly, but both eyes were the same light red, rather than being different colours. His face was the same though, smooth pale skin that seemed almost ageless. "F-from last night…did you really…kill my father?"

Akashi raised his hands. "There is much to talk about, but unfortunately…" he glanced up just as a shadow fell over them. "We are out of time."

Kagami felt dizzy, overwhelmed, confused. But he knew one thing. That huge triangular ship that hovered right above them, blocking out the sun, did _not_ look friendly.

Especially when it started shooting at them.

"Take cover!" someone yelled and everyone ducked behind rocks and ruins. Kagami scrambled with Aomine following close behind. They hid near a fallen pillar just as a blast sent dust up into the air.

"Didn't Akashi say they wanted Kagami _alive_?" Aomine yelled over the shooting. "They're trying to kill us all!" Kagami could see Akashi and the blonde – Kise – right across from him, the latter with his lightsabre hilt out.

"I did indeed believe so, but it seems as though the commander of the ship has other ideas," Akashi shouted back.

Kise peered over the rock. "And we can't fight back at this distance! They're too far up!"

"They're deploying smaller ships," Kuroko's voice carried over, but Kagami couldn't see him. "And Momoi-san is safe with me, Aomine-kun, don't worry! Her fellow workers have also taken cover!"

Kagami felt Aomine relax a little beside him, but his navy eyes were hard. "Well, we aren't going down without a fight."

"Two small patrol ships incoming, five troopers each," Kuroko reported from a distance.

"Don't worry, we have an advantage," Akashi stood up to everyone's surprise, straight in the line of fire. "As you all know, Qua-Ren is quite a good battlefield for those who know how to use the Force."

Kagami gaped, along with everyone else, as Akashi raised both his arms. The wind caused by the gunfire whipped his cloak around him, but not one grazed him. And almost like an outwardly expanding field, Kagami saw the rocks and sand fall back down and settle as the noise dimmed.

Akashi was extended a shield around them, encasing them in a protective bubble.

 _Is he really a bad guy? No, this isn't the right time._ Kagami shook his head. _Empire first, Akashi later._

Aomine and Kagami ran over to where Kise was and Aomine scoffed in disbelief. "He really is a monster."

"Don't you mean _Master?_ " Kise shot him a look.

"Yeah, sure," Aomine's eyes reflected the scene before him. He remembered back in Emora, how Kagami had done something similar. But Akashi had over a decade of experience, and Kagami had none. Maybe he really _was_ more powerful than Akashi, and Akashi was already powerful enough.

"He probably can't it for long," Kagami spoke up. "Shouldn't we be fighting too?"

"Spoken like a true warrior," Kise beamed, and a golden bar of light extended from his lightsabre. "Let's go, Kagamicchi!"

 _Kagamicchi?!_ Kagami snorted, taking out his own weapon. He looked at it in awe as it threw its red light on him. Aomine's words rung in his head. _It is a weapon, to both your enemy and yourself._ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Make its experiences your own._

He felt hands around is, and he opened his eyes to see Aomine staring at him.

"You don't have to fight," Aomine said tentatively. "You're untrained. It's okay if you stick with the excavating team. We'll deal with it, it's our job as Jedi."

Kagami shook his head. "No, I'm fighting. These guys are after me. And if I want to become a Jedi, I have to behave like one."

Aomine smiled softly. "Okay. Then let's kick some Stormtrooper ass."

Kagami grinned. "Yeah."

* * *

There were too many. Akashi's shield was keeping Momoi and the other researchers safe, but a whole Empire ship housed hundreds of troops, and they were only four Jedi, not including Kagami.

Kagami felt the lightsabre thrum in his hands as he sliced through enemy armour and weapons, using stances and moves he didn't even know he knew. _No_ , he thought as he turned around and stabbed a Stormtrooper through the chest. _This isn't my knowledge. I'm drawing it through the sword. This is…my father's._ His body moved instinctively, and although his brain was working overtime to keep track of the enemies, he managed to hit every one.

Meanwhile, Aomine was busy taking out some of the patrol ships. More and more were being sent out of the larger ship, too many. Aomine could feel the Force around him, throbbing with power, and as he saw two headed his way, he took a deep breath and _focused_. He'd never done something of this magnitude before, but if it were possible, then Qua-Ren was the perfect place for it.

And it worked. One of the ships forcibly veered out of control, hitting the other like a freak accident and sending the two balls of metal tumbling to the ground in a heap of flame.

"Sweet," Aomine laughed, running forwards into the fray.

Fighting was exhilarating, but he was always careful not to get caught up in it. Fighting was to be avoided, but they no longer had a choice. Right now the only thing that mattered was staying alive.

* * *

Hanamiya grinded his teeth as he saw the destruction beneath him. "That's it, these soldiers are useless! If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

"Sir?" his subordinate followed him.

"Prep another ship. I'll go down and deal with them."

"Sir," the man nodded.

Hamamiya took out his lightsabre, the burning green light casting shadows on his face. He would _not_ lose. Not to Akashi.

* * *

"There's another ship detaching from the main one!" Kuroko yelled, dodging an attack. He placed a hand on the Stormtrooper's breastplate and used the Force to propel the attacker backwards. He crashed into a pillar and crumbled to the ground. Kuroko used the Force as more of an extension of his attacks rather than a weapon, unlike Aomine who was having a joyride on one of the patrol cars before jumping off it just as it careened into the ground. "Akashi-kun, that ship looks different. It's bigger, and it's a darker colour," he squinted. "I think we're going to have some troublesome company."

Akashi pressed his lips together. "Kise, can you take over shielding the civilians?"

"Got it!" Kise ran over to where Momoi was helping bandage and treat any wounded workers.

"I'll go greet our new guest," Akashi walked calmly towards the ship as it landed.

Kagami wasn't too far off, having knocked a trooper to the ground. His eyes narrowed as he saw Akashi walk to the newly arrived ship as though he were walking to his own. Kagami crept and ducked under a rock nearby, observing with suspicion.

The wind ruffled Akashi's robes as he approached the ship, and the engines thrummed lowly as the door opened with a hiss.

A man stepped out, taller than Akashi and fitted with black armour, closely followed by a dozen Stormtroopers that flanked both his sides. He wore a mask similar to that of the Stormtroopers, but black, and an emerald lightsabre burned at his side.

"Hanamiya," Akashi said coolly. "I suspect your masters ordered you to take Kagami Taiga in alive. But instead your soldiers look like their orders are to kill anything in sight. Do you want me dead that badly?"

The man, Hanamiya, laughed dryly. His voice was slightly mechanical as he spoke. "Yes, of course you'd know it was me. And yes, I've wanted you dead for a _long_ time. Ever since you ordered me to clean your fucking toilet on your first day in office." He turned and Kagami felt a shiver run down his spine. Hanamiya was looking at him. "Well, well. Why don't you come over here?"

Kagami felt an invisible bond around his limbs as he was forcibly dragged out, and slammed into the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of him. He groaned as he was released, and watched in horror as his lightsabre was torn from his grip to land in Hanamiya's free hand.

"Give that back!" he coughed, struggling to his feet.

"Kagami, get back," Akashi snapped and Hanamiya laughed.

"Isn't this the older Kagami's lightsabre?" he muttered, looking at it closely. "I remember. You used his own weapon to kill him."

"What?" Kagami glared at him, his gaze flickering uneasily over all the guns pointed straight at him.

"He knows nothing, does he?" Hanamiya ripped his helmet to reveal cruel dark eyes and a twisted grin. "Akashi here is fucking traitor! Your father was his _master_ , and Akashi turned against him and joined the Dark Side!" his voice shook with mirth. "And then when Kagami came looking for him, Akashi killed him! And then he _went back_ to the Jedi…and now you want to work with him…this is too funny," he wiped a fake tear from his eye.

Kagami's knees felt weak. He turned to look at Akashi, whose expression had shuttered off. "So the dream was true?" his mouth was dry.

Akashi grit his teeth, and it was the first time since Kagami had met him that he had shown another emotion besides calm. "Now is not the time. We need to protect the Jedi, and I need to protect you-"

"No!" Kagami's chest clenched. If he couldn't trust Akashi, if this man claiming to be a Jedi Master had killed his own father, could he trust anyone? Even Kuroko had pretended to be a homeless kid, even _Himuro_ had lied.

 _I can trust Aomine_.

Kagami closed his eyes. Aomine wasn't here right now. He was out there, risking his life for _Akashi_.

Hanamiya smiled. "Kagami Taiga, why don't you come with me? I'll explain _everything_. The whole truth."

Akashi's eyes widened. "Kagami, don't-"

" _Shut up!_ "

The words Kagami screamed rolled over around him, throwing Akashi off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground. Stormtrooper boots skid on the ground as they tried to hold their stance and some lost their weapons to the burst of Force energy.

Hanamiya blinked in surprise. Something suspiciously like fear prickled the back of his neck. He knew then that he needed this man on his side. His lips pulled up in a smirk. "Kill him, Kagami. Avenge your beloved father. Akashi took _everything_ away from you. Your childhood, your family. You wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for _him_."

Kagami breathed heavily, and without thinking, shot his hand out. The lightsabre was ripped from Hanamiya's hand and whirled in the air in a show of crimson light before landing perfectly in Kagami's hand. His fingers curled around it as he stared down at Akashi's sprawled form.

 _Kill him. Kill him! This pain, anger, sadness, it's all his fault!_

Kagami's head was throbbing. He felt the red hot blood coursing in his veins. He felt Akashi's blood pumping Akashi's heart. He didn't even need his lightsabre. He could just stop Akashi's heart. He could do it. He _would_ do it.

 _You hurt the ones you love, and by the time you realise what you have done, it is too late._

Aomine's face flashed in his vision. No! That wasn't Aomine…that was Akashi, disguised as Aomine, Akashi's lies…in his dream…

But were the words a lie too?

 _It is what you do with the Force that defines you, that changes the lives of those around you._

Kagami grit his teeth. So easily. He could kill so easily. There was an ocean of possibilities with the Dark Side. There were no restrictions. No control over the _power_ he could have.

He…just…had…to… _kill_ …

"Kagami!"

He gasped, looking up to see a shadow block out the sun. Aomine landed right in between him and Akashi, his expression a mix of confusion and shock.

Hanamiya watched on in amusement at the interesting development. _It'll be better if Kagami can take both of them out for me,_ he thought with a wide grin.

Aomine stared at Kagami. "W-what are you doing?"

"Out of the way, Aomine," Kagami hissed. "Akashi killed my father! He _deserves_ to die!"

Aomine took a half step back, his eyes wavering between Kagami's lightsabre and his equally fiery red eyes. He shook his head. "Kagami, I don't know what's wrong, but snap out of it. We can't be fighting between us right now," his gaze flicked to Hanamiya standing some distance away, and at all the Stormtroopers. "We're surrounded. We need to work together-"

"If you don't get out of the way, I'll make you!" Kagami swung his blade around and in a flash, it sparked against a blue one.

Aomine wheezed against the force, biting his lip, his hands clammy around the hilt. "Kagami, _what the fuck_ are you doing-?"

"Move!" Kagami tried to push him aside using the Force, but Aomine raised his hands and created a shield of his own.

"Stop, Kagami, Akashi is our ally!" he yelled, sweat beading his forehead from the effort of holding his ground.

The redhead scowled in pain. He'd _trusted_ Aomine. Was Aomine lying to him too?

Aomine stepped forwards slowly, his voice soft. "I don't know about your father, but Akashi has changed. He cares about the Jedi, about _us._ You have to calm down Kagami," he put away his lightsabre and held out his hands. "Don't let your anger consume you. Come back here. Let's fight together." He smiled. "And then we can go to Emora and get your brother. I'll show you lots of nice, peaceful places where you can train. Antin is really beautiful. It's green and it's got lots of birds, and the sunsets are breathtaking. Would you like that?"

Kagami faltered at the soothing voice. He _did_ like sunsets…and if Aomine said Akashi had changed…maybe it was better to talk first before fighting…?

And in that moment, Hanamiya decided he couldn't let anything ruin his plans. He raised his hand and Aomine's defenceless body was sent hurtling into a stone pillar, and flopped to the ground in a motionless heap.

Kagami felt his breath leave his body as though he had been the one to crash. He stared at Aomine, and felt his gut wrench. Aomine wasn't moving.

"He's just feeding you more lies!" Hanamiya said loudly. "Don't you think it's about time we take out the filthy deceitful trash?"

Kagami felt numb, and turned his head to look at Akashi still lying on his back in the dust.

Akashi looked up at him, a sadness in his eyes. But in those eyes Kagami saw wisdom. Wisdom that could only be brought by pain and suffering. Wisdom gained through so much confusion and heartbreak. And in those eyes he saw himself, standing above Akashi with weapon raised, a vision of anger and violence and everything he never wanted to be.

Aomine's words…no, Akashi's, drifted in his memories.

 _The Force does not care, but that is why you must._

Kagami relaxed. He lowered his sword, and let the energy blade retract.

"What are you doing?!" Hanamiya snarled at him. "Kill him!"

"No." Kagami turned around, placing himself between Akashi and Hanamiya. "I don't know about Akashi's past, and I fully intent to ask him about it later. But right now, I'm going to trust Aomine. I'm going to trust Akashi. Right now, _you're_ my primary concern. And you'll pay for hurting the ones I care about."

* * *

 **Next chapter is the last one and will be up soon :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Bright White Future

**Another note: lightsabres, although typically used by those who use the Force, are just like normal weapons. This means anyone can learn to and successfully use them, although it's rare to find random lightsabre users.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Bright White Future**

Hanamiya shook his head, sighing. "And here I thought we could be friends." He gestured to his soldiers. "Kill them all."

Kagami dashed forwards, swinging his blade around just as he turned it on. Red and green clashed in a shower of sparks as Hanamiya defended himself. They twirled and parried and jabbed, dancing a deadly dance. The Stormtroopers dared not shoot in case they hit their commander, but Akashi wasn't having too much trouble with them.

Akashi hadn't stopped Kagami, the redhead thought belatedly. He could have easily shoved him aside, or defended himself. But he didn't. Did he want Kagami to trust him? Or…did he want Kagami to kill him?

"If you don't focus…" Hanamiya shot a leg out and tripped Kagami, the fall jarring Kagami's head. "You die!" Hanamiya no longer cared about his orders. He was sure Akashi's head on a spike would please his bosses enough. Right now, this brat pissed him off the most. Such power, such a waste! And better for Kagami to die than become a Jedi. He brought his blade down and Kagami saw it descend, tried to use the Force to stop it, but he didn't have time to concentrate…didn't have time…

It stopped in midair, as though hit by an invisible barrier. Kagami looked to see an upside down image of Akashi with his hand towards him.

"I promised his father I would protect him," Akashi said with a sad smile.

A Stormtrooper came behind Akashi with a weapon raised and Kagami opened his mouth to shout a warning, but a flash of blue had the soldier tumbling facedown. A familiar figure glared at Akashi, his hair tousled and dirt streaking his already dark skin.

"That hurt like a _bitch_ , bastard!" Aomine growled, wincing as he rolled his shoulders.

Kagami would have laughed if he wasn't pinned down by a psychopathic madman trying to kill him. It truly would take more than that to take down someone like Aomine.

Hanamiya growled, stomping down hard on Kagami's stomach and propelling himself towards Akashi. Kagami yelled in pain, curling up on his side but managing to get to his knees. A dark hand extended towards him and Kagami smiled weakly up at Aomine, holding his offered hand in the strong grip.

"Sorry, about earlier…I don't know how I…" Kagami looked away but Aomine grabbed his shoulder and turned him back.

His navy eyes were serious but warm. "What's important is that you're back. Akashi always used to tell us, when he came back from his…from when he left…that only those who have seen the darkness can truly appreciate the light. I think he meant that those who have seen the Dark Side and its power, but still come back, are sure to be our allies."

Kagami blinked at the déjà vu, smiling and glancing at Akashi and Hanamiya. It didn't look like Akashi needed help, the way he was dancing out of Hanamiya's way. He picked up his fallen lightsabre and grinned.

There was still a lot to take care of.

* * *

"Always! Always you look down on me!" Hanamiya screamed as he swung crazily. "Why won't you die?!"

Akashi ducked and the green light buzzed over his head. "I no longer look down on you."

"Don't lie! I can see that contempt on your face," Hanamiya kicked at Akashi's legs but the redhead managed to jump away in time.

"Your anger consumes you. You are full of negativity," Akashi murmured calmly. "You were a person with great potential, great intelligence. But the way you used it was what was pitiful."

"I don't need your pity," the commander growled, and his movements became more erratic, without form, like they were fuelled purely by emotion. "I actually _looked up_ to you. A Jedi who turned to the Dark Side, who became so powerful. I envied your power, I admired you! But you looked down on me, ignore me! And that wasn't all," he spat, his chest heaving and his hair sticking to his forehead. "You went _back! You went back!_ " His voice was hysterical, high and on the verge of laughter. "The one man I thought who could lead the Sith into their greatest age went back to the fucking Jedi!"

He brought his sword down hard and Akashi blocked with his own, but saw too late that Hanamiya had a _second_ lightsabre on his belt which Hanamiya quickly grabbed with one hand and activated, aimed straight at Akashi's chest-

 _Bzzt!_

Hanamiya grit his teeth as he stared into Kagami's burning red eyes.

"Akashi can't provide me an explanation if he's dead," Kagami snorted, and since Hanamiya only had one hand on each sabre, he and Akashi brought their weapons down in tandem, knocking Hanamiya's away and the man himself to the floor.

The twin red lights of both Kagami's and Akashi's sabres threw eerie shadows on Hanamiya's face as they pointed down at him. He glared up, but there was fear in his eyes. "S-so what? You're going to kill me now? It doesn't matter, you know. My ship is still up there," he leered. "Like you handful of Jedi can put a _scratch_ on it. You're all dead."

Akashi retracted his blade and looked up at the ship, lips pressed together.

Kagami looked down at Hanamiya, shaking his head. "You'll face justice, one way or another. So do we tie him up or something?" he called to Akashi.

Akashi's eyes widened. "Kagami-!"

Hanamiya grabbed his sabre again and swung it at Kagami's head, Kagami managing to block in the nick of time. Akashi ran forwards, and with a simple wave of his hand in front of Hanamiya's face, Hanamiya's body collapsed like a rag doll.

"You have to knock them out, people like him," Akashi frowned. "But he was right. That ship…"

"I've called reinforcements," a female voice rang out, and Kagami turned around to see Momoi running towards them with Kuroko at her heels. They'd cleared out most of the enemies, but it was clear that many more were being sent down from the main ship. Momoi flicked her hair out of her face, waving her communicator in the air. "They're in the star system, but they can't get close with that Second Class Star Destroyer in the air, it'll shoot them straight out of the sky."

"Reinforcements?" Aomine jogged up to them, seeing Momoi's pink hair from a distance. He looked at Hanamiya's body with a curious mix of happiness and disdain. "Who? Oh, fuck…" he slapped a hand to his forehead. "No, not-"

"They were nearby anyway! Akashi had told me to ask them to check out the situation in Tamaria. And Riko-san is a lovely woman," Momoi crossed her arms. "She's coming on a small fighter with some of her men to provide assistance, but she says she can't bring the main force unless we take that thing down. She doesn't have that much manpower, and she doesn't want to lose any men."

"Who's this Riko?" Kagami asked as they all warily looked at the ship in the sky. Although the commander was out, it didn't seem like it was going to stop attacking anytime soon. It didn't seem like those of the Empire were the kind of people who negotiated, either.

"She's an ex-Republic commander, now a bounty hunter with her own crew," Aomine muttered. He squinted at the sky. "Speak of the devil."

Another half dozen patrol ships had deployed from the Star Destroyer, and were now a line of dark specks headed their way. But just on top of them, it looked like there was some sort of visual disturbance. A strange shimmering like heat waves, but it moved fast.

And then it fired.

One of the patrol ships fell in a ball of flames, and another met its end the same way. Kagami narrowed his eyes and saw something, an outline of sorts as the shimmering drew closer.

It was a ship. _Camouflaged_.

The communicator in Momoi's hand crackled to life. "I can see you, Satsuki-san! Damn, these Imperials are _annoying_. Oi, Junpei, get your aim straight!"

"Yeah, Hyuuga, really try and _hit the spot_."

"Oh god, Izuki, at least try and keep the puns PG-13, or I'll shoot your ass off instead…"

Everyone on the ground exchanged glances. _This_ was their rescue team?

* * *

The man shook his head as the report came in from one of the troops that their commander had been captured.

He would destroy the Jedi, then he would leave and inform their superiors of Hanamiya's failure.

He gave the order that they fire their main weapon. A Star Destroyer wasn't called one just for show, as the Jedi would soon learn.

* * *

Three small imperial ships succeeded in landing, and Kagami was getting ready for another battle when he heard shouting from further on.

There was gunfire, and a flash of colour before someone jumped high into the air and landed on a Stormtrooper's back, making the soldier fall to the ground and crack his head against the rock.

A woman with short brown hair straightened up, wearing khaki pants and a leather jacket. She had a silver lightsabre in one hand, and a red in the other, but the length was shorter – about two thirds of the original.

"Hey there!" she grinned. "Sorry I'm late. It was hard to land the thing."

"Riko, that ship is _really_ troublesome," a tall man with glasses jogged up to her, holding a blaster in his hands. His attire was more or less the same and he nodded at the Jedi. "We need to do something about it _fast_. Kiyoshi can't risk bringing our main ship around yet."

Riko bit her lip, glancing at the Jedi as she twirled her swords and took a few armoured men down with relative ease. Aomine stabbed a trooper in the chest and swung around to slice another one. Kuroko whirled his sword and took down a few more. They weren't _difficult_ to deal with, but the numbers were a bit much.

Akashi walked up to Riko, shaking his head. "I'm not too sure what we can do. We're on the ground, and the ship is way up in the air. Not to mention all the enemies on-board."

Kagami paused, his eyes widening. "I have an idea," he called out. "What if…what if we bring the ship down?"

"How?" Riko furrowed her brows.

"Bring it down. Just bring it down forcefully," Kagami smiled slowly. "Literally."

Aomine glared at him in disbelief. "You mean _with the Force_?! A whole ship!"

"This is Qua-Ren. If it can be done, it can be done here," Akashi mused aloud. "Not a bad idea. But everyone will have to get back."

"You guys are crazy!" Riko shook her head, calling what few men she had managed to bring to move back.

They ran to the centre of the ruins, back to where Kise was guarding the workers. Kise laughed at their plan, but urged them on, and Akashi pointed to the top of a particularly large pillar.

"You'll get a good view from there."

Kagami blinked. "Me? I thought _you_ would…"

Aomine clapped him on the back and smiled. "Akashi may not look like it, but he's already pretty exhausted. Come on, I'll help you do it."

Kagami had started second guessing his own plan, but as the two climbed the pillar and stood on the top, he felt his breath taken away by the destruction on the ground. They had to stop this, and fast.

He jerked a little when he felt a warm hand hold his. He looked at Aomine.

"Don't panic," Aomine closed his eyes. "Kuroko and Kise are going to stay down there and make sure we don't crush everyone. But our job is up here." He opened his eyes and his gaze was strong and ready. "So you want to save everyone or what?"

Kagami nodded firmly, and they both stared at the ship that threatened all of them.

Kagami tuned into the Force, felt it around him, in him.

He saw a bright light at the tip of the Star Destroyer, as though a huge canon was about to go off, but Aomine squeezed his hand and Kagami closed his eyes. _Ignore it all. There is only the Force. Nothing but the Force._

He could sense Aomine too, like they were both floating in the same pond of nothingness. Feel his mental vibrations, his thoughts drifting in and out. He could feel Aomine's will to protect, the will he shared. And he reached out, all around him, and he could feel the ship in the air, feel its presence so close he could touch it with his mind.

And he brought it down. Pulled at it, ordered it to crash into the ground. He felt a pull deep within him, a burning sensation that took over his senses.

And he opened his eyes to see millions of tonnes of metal tilt its nose to kiss the ground in a spectacular shower of grinding metallic screams and flying debris.

The Star Destroyer collapsed, as though an invisible giant had grabbed its tip and dragged it downwards. Kagami could feel the strain in his muscles like _he_ was doing the pulling, feel his gut wrench and his head spin. Aomine's hand gripping his was what kept him grounded through it all, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the dark grey monster that skid against the barren earth, coming to a dying halt only a few metres from the ruins.

The smoke and dust settled, and the ship was no more a ship than a crushed ball of twisted hot metal. Kagami felt his knees weaken and he slumped against Aomine, who in turn felt to his knees on the top of the pillar.

"We did it," Kagami breathed, the sweat dripping into his eyes and his vision swimming. Was it his imagination or was there another ship in the sky…smaller…but definitely there…coming closer…

" _You_ did it," Aomine whispered in his ear, and those were the last words Kagami heard before he passed out.

* * *

"So you were useless."

"Shut up Tetsu. I _tried_ to help, but he kind of just…snatched the power from me! Oh, I can't explain it. It's like he used my body as a conduit or something. He did all the work."

"Dai-chan, quiet. He's waking up."

Kagami moaned. His body felt heavy, and he opened his eyes slowly to see familiar faces staring down at him. "W-what…?" He was on a bedroll, his head propped up by a pillow and his body covered with a blanket. They were back in the caves.

"We're safe now," Kuroko smiled. "You took down the ship, and Riko-san's men were able to arrive."

Riko herself was eating beside him. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe the bounty on these Imperial officers," she muttered through her bread. "We're gonna be rich. Don't worry, I'll donate to your Order or whatever."

Momoi rolled his eyes. "Enough of that, I think Kagamin needs rest."

"No, no I…" Kagami winced, pushing himself up. "I'm fine. I need to…to talk."

"That's quite right," Akashi rearranged his robes. "I would also like to talk, so if you would all leave us alone?"

Aomine bit his lip as everyone filed out, hanging by the doorway. Kagami nodded at him and he followed the others out with slight hesitance.

"Kagami," Akashi sighed. "Firstly, yes. I did kill your father."

Kagami clutched his sheets, gritting his teeth.

"But that me is no longer here. I have changed, that you can believe," Akashi looked up at Kagami, his eyes warm but sad. "I will start from the beginning. Many years ago, when you were too young to remember, I was your father's Padowan. He trained me. But after my mother died while under Jedi protection…well, I was consumed with negative feelings," Akashi pursed his lips. "You know that feeling well. That all-consuming anger, pain and sadness. That is when the Dark Side looks the most appealing, where you realise the power it can truly give you."

Kagami was silent, but it was true. He knew the feeling too well.

"So I turned," Akashi continued. "And your father, despite others telling him not to, followed me to try and bring me back. We fought, and I…" To Kagami's surprise, Akashi's voice cracked. "…I killed him. And it was only when my blade pierced him did I realise what I had done."

Kagami took in a sharp breath. _You hurt the ones you love, and by the time you realise what you have done, it is too late._

"I killed him, and that was when the Darkness left me." Akashi's words were soft. "The relief from the pain and sorrow…the relief I had sought from the Dark Side only made it worse. Now I had truly lost so much more. And with his dying words, your father made me promise him that I would protect you. He saw then…the goodness he believed was still in me. So I swore to him that I would. And so I returned to the Jedi, and although at first they wished to prosecute me, they realised I had changed. And that I had vital information I had gathered about the Empire."

"Protect me?" Kagami shook his head. "How…?"

"When Riko-san's men went to Tamaria, they picked up someone." Akashi turned to the doorway. "Come in, Himuro."

Kagami stared as his beloved brother walked inside, a little dirty and with a bandage on his cheek but otherwise in good health. "T-Tatsuya…"

"Taiga," Himuro smiled, bending down and hugging Kagami. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was worried sick."

Kagami breathed the familiar scent, hugging back. "W-what's going on?"

"I originally hired Himuro around fifteen years ago to raise you," Akashi replied, smiling at the two of them. "After I returned, you were an orphan. I swore to your father to protect you, and although I could not care for you personally, I asked for Himuro. He was a spy who had worked with me in the past for the Republic, and I trusted him with my life. So I knew I could trust him with yours."

Himuro placed his hands on Kagami's cheeks and looked at him warmly, his eyes glassy with tears. "But Taiga, you were my best assignment. More than that, my family. I hope that you still want me as your brother."

Kagami felt his heart clench. "Of course…!" How could Himuro even _think_ otherwise? They had grown up together, Himuro had taught him so much. He was like a father to Kagami, albeit too young to be one. It would take a lot for Kagami to forsake him.

Himuro couldn't hold back a grin and Kagami smiled back.

He turned to Akashi. "What about the dream I had? The one where…your eyes were different. And you…turned into Aomine." He shivered at the memory, the disturbing images. But the words…they would stay with him forever.

Akashi looked a little sheepish. "I arrived in Qua-Ren that night. Last night. I needed to make sure that you had the potential to be good. I couldn't risk what happened to me to happen to you. And so I used the Force to enter your dreams, and to warn you. To impart advice. But…" he hesitated. "My Force state is sometimes unstable, and has a…personality of its own, born from when my mother died. It is harmless in the real world, and I can usually control it. Sometimes it…likes to speak for itself."

Kagami narrowed his eyes. Another Akashi? _In_ Akashi?

"Do not worry about him, he means well," Akashi cleared his throat. "I'm not asking you to forgive me, Kagami Taiga, for all I have done. I never could. But I fully intend to keep my oath with your father until my dying breath." Kagami looked into Akashi's eyes and saw conviction and clarity in them. "I'm not asking you to forgive me, but I _am_ asking you to trust me. As one Jedi to another."

Kagami mulled over the words, before slowly nodding. Akashi was a changed man, and although Kagami may not be able to forgive his sins, he could trust him from now on. As much as was required at least.

And if Aomine trusted him even after knowing that Akashi had been on the Dark Side, then Kagami could too.

Akashi grinned, showing a slight flash of white teeth, his shoulders relaxing. "Thank you. Now that has been sorted, next order of business. Aomine, I know you're listening by the doorway, so why don't you come in?"

Kagami raised an eyebrow as Aomine slinked back into the room guiltily.

He rubbed his navy hair. "I-I wasn't eavesdropping or anything-"

"You will be Kagami's Master, and train him in the Ways of the Jedi."

Kagami and Aomine and even Himuro stared at Akashi.

"What?" Kagami spluttered as Aomine remained speechless.

"Aomine is experienced enough to teach, and Kagami, you need someone who understands you to guide you," Akashi stood up, arranging his robes. "You have lots of potential and Aomine appreciates that. You'll be perfect for each other-"

Aomine found his voice again. "Wait, I don't want to teach that hot-headed idiot!"

Kagami glared at him. "Hey! I don't want to be _taught_ by an idiot!"

"Do I get a say in this?" Himuro murmured quietly as the two bickered.

"But Aomine, Kagami would have to call you Master," Akashi noted nonchalantly as he made his way to the exit.

Aomine paused, and to Kagami's horror, the scowl on his face pulled up into a grin. "Oh yeah…he would… _Master Aomine_ , I like the sound of that!"

Kagami flushed. "Who'd call you Master, you…you _Ahomine!_ "

"Hah? That's Master to you, _Bakagami!_ "

Himuro and Akashi shared a small smile. This was a better ending than either could have ever hoped for.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Kagami breathed in, letting the fresh air deep into his lungs. The landscape beneath the balcony was a lush green forest, exotic flowering plants tilting their heads to the darkening sky, vibrant colours reflected in the freshwater river that trickled through the trees. Birds tittered in the air, flying low to pluck insects from flowers and leaves in a flash of bright colours. The sun touched the horizon, its blood orange light washing the ground with warmth.

"I _told_ you Antin had great sunsets."

Kagami chuckled as dark hands were placed on the railing on either side of him. He turned his head a little, letting his lips brush lightly against Aomine's cheek. A warm and happy feeling buzzed under his skin as he smiled.

"You told me many things. And I never doubted you."

* * *

 **And so it ends! I hope you liked it, and thanks for all your support!**

 **Thanks for reading! Comments are lifeblood. :D**

 **For tons of AoKaga drabbles and shit, visit my tumblr at theeventideabyss. For my personal tumblr, check out thetranscendentabyss!**


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